Dining out in Paris should be fun, relaxing andnever, never stressful. Whether a 3-star restaurant or a neighborhood bistro there should always be a warm welcome and an excellent rapport qualité-prix-a positive relationship between price and quality. Bon appétit!

Bistros & Restos 11th to 15th Arr.

Le Grill Astier

Just a few steps from, the mother ship Astier, Frederic Hubig, the Earl of the Eleventh, has opened Le Grill Astier.

France's legendary Paris-Riviera trains, especially between the wars, were celebrated in names of cocktails, fashion designs, perfume, all sorts of things. Glamor by association. Most of the mystique and exuberance of the era is long gone, but happily a living monument to it exists: the Train Bleu restaurant in Paris' Gare de Lyon. A few days ago I had my first meal there in over 35 years.

It was a cold January day, and I was meeting my culinary rabbi, Albert Nahmias, for lunch. I suggested pot au feu and he countered with cassoulet, the rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the southwest of France, containing meat (typically pork sausage, goose, duck and sometimes mutton, pork skin and white beans, so off we went to the 15th and Le Gastroquet.

Chicago Bob was in the mood for a steak so we met in the 14th at Le Severo. I was raised in New York on thick, juicy steaks at Peter Luger’s, The Homestead, Smith & Wolensky, Gallagher’s to name but a few and for Bob, raised in Chicago, where the beef was so fresh you could see it on the hoof south of the loop, the typical steak-frites served at Paris bistros rarely satisfies.

I was tipped off to this elegant spot in sight of the Eiffel Tower by my Italian colleague Davide Quaglio Cotti.He and Franco, the ebullient owner, were pals on the Adriatic coast. For 25 years Franco ran a successful restaurant in Paris and when this spot became available he grabbed it. He will welcome you with warmth and geniality and his wife, fill prepare your meal.

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Bistros

No one should have a bad meal in Paris! Whether a 2-star restaurant or a local bistro there should always be an excellent rapport qualité prix– relationship between price and quality. At my favorites you will be treated as a regular and have a satisfying experience. Just tell them “Terrance sent you.”

Events

Regularly scheduled literary salons with guest writers, private dinners, restaurant openings, wine tastings,market visits and cooking classes attract a discerning, sophisticated crowd who love to have a good time while they learn. Our cadre of Paris–based colleagues happily share their passion for this magical city.